at my wits end

[rbrumfield23]

I have an egg eater, maybe 2. I have tried everything to get them to stop. I tried the food coloring to figure out which ones, that didn't work. They cracked the egg but I couldn't find food coloring on amy of them. My husband built nesting boxes that are on an incline so the eggs will roll but they quit laying in them and now lay on the coop floor. I've tried keeping the 2 I thought were doing it in time out for a week and still have eggs being eaten. I am worried that it has spread to my other chickens. I've put nesting curtains up so the coop will be dark. I am getting to the point where I just want to throw my hands in the air and cull my flock and just start over again in the spring. It isn't a nutrional problem as they get fresh greens and cat food everyday. They also get meat at least 3 times a week. They have free choice oyster shell available at all times and fresh water. No health issues and free range for a few hours a day. I've had chickens for almost 3 yrs. HElP!

 

[PerfectPlumage]

Have you tried these?

Empty a couple eggs with a syringe. Fill it back up with mustard. Chickens hate mustard.


Start putting fake eggs in the nest. Lots of them. They'll start pecking at those and then losing interest, it sometimes works to stop egg eaters.

 

[rbrumfield23]

I haven't tried the mustard, that's my next step. I can't use the eggs since they will roll into a cabinet that is on the back of my nesting boxes. How full do I make the eggs and how many would you suggest?

 

[PerfectPlumage]

I haven't tried the mustard, that's my next step. I can't use the eggs since they will roll into a cabinet that is on the back of my nesting boxes. How full do I make the eggs and how many would you suggest?

Fill 'em up all teh way, and I would say put one in every spot there laying, and remove any undamaged un-musterd-ed eggs.

 

[rbrumfield23]

I'm going to put quite a few in the coop. I can't collect them throughout the day because I work. I'm pretty sure it's from this years pullets that are doing it. They are SLW's and I'll never have the breed again because I'm so aggravated with them. My guess is that one accidentally cracked it and discovered it was good stuff. Thanks for the help!

 

[PerfectPlumage]

I'm going to put quite a few in the coop. I can't collect them throughout the day because I work. I'm pretty sure it's from this years pullets that are doing it. They are SLW's and I'll never have the breed again because I'm so aggravated with them. My guess is that one accidentally cracked it and discovered it was good stuff. Thanks for the help!

Your welcome. Yes, eggs are good stuffs!

 

[aart]

I have an egg eater, maybe 2. I have tried everything to get them to stop. I tried the food coloring to figure out which ones, that didn't work. They cracked the egg but I couldn't find food coloring on amy of them. My husband built nesting boxes that are on an incline so the eggs will roll but they quit laying in them and now lay on the coop floor. I've tried keeping the 2 I thought were doing it in time out for a week and still have eggs being eaten. I am worried that it has spread to my other chickens. I've put nesting curtains up so the coop will be dark. I am getting to the point where I just want to throw my hands in the air and cull my flock and just start over again in the spring. It isn't a nutrional problem as they get fresh greens and cat food everyday. They also get meat at least 3 times a week. They have free choice oyster shell available at all times and fresh water. No health issues and free range for a few hours a day. I've had chickens for almost 3 yrs. HElP!

Do they get a balanced chicken ration as well?
Do they have plenty of room and nests?
How many birds are there total, how many are pullets?
Did it just start happening with these pullets?

Mustard filled eggs will probably only make a big mess, chicken don't have 'spicy taste receptors' so that won't deter them.
Fake ceramic egg might help.
Slowly acclimating them to the roll away nests might help, put enough bedding in to get them to use them, then slowly let it thin out until they start using them.

Read a good one, they rolled a fake egg out onto the floor, the first bird to take a stab at it got removed from the coop.

 

[rbrumfield23]

I offer layer feed as free choice. I only supplement with the fresh veggies and fruits. I know they don't taste like we do and that's why I haven't bothered with mustard filled eggs. I'm going to just load the box up with bedding and do what you suggested. I'm going to block off the rest of the coop so they don't have access to anything but the nesting boxes. My coop is a converted rabbit hutch that sits on stilts. The hens doing it are from this years chicks. They are all laying now. I seriously have tried almost everything.